Since 1992, David Garofalo has named the Cigar of the Year. The originator of the award began doing so under Two Guys Smoke Shop and since 2010, the award has been part of The Cigar Authority and since 2014, I’ve been lucky enough to be part of the process. The Cigar of the Year process at The Cigar Authority is different from most other websites and publications. Each November, we put together a Contenders Pack in which we invite consumers to smoke and cast a vote. We also look at the how many times a customer makes at least a secondary purchase of one of the contenders. Then the members of The Cigar Authority smoke and debate the cigars before coming up with a winner.
In the four years I’ve been a part of the vote collection process this was one of the tightest races, with 3 votes separating the top 3 vote getter. Once again the voters got it right as their collective voice matched up with the data available to us on the retail side and we were able to name the Cigar of the Year with great confidence. Today we offer our review of the winner, Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut Robusto.
Cigar Review: Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut
Wrapper: Ecuador Connectiuct
Binder: Nicaragua (Aganorsa)
Filler: Nicaragua (Aganorsa)
Length: 5″
Ring Guage: 50
Size: Robusto
The Look: The Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut is laid out in two rows of ten cigars. The Connecticut wrapped cigar is more tan in color than blonde with a few thin veins and a nice amount of oils visible. The tan, black, gold and burgundy band denotes, “Fabrica de Tabacos Casa Fernandez” with “Aganorsa” in the center. A secondary band states Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut and the presentation is rounded out with a peach colored foot ribbon .The cigar which is lightly box pressed is firm in the hand with no soft spots and a well packed foot.
The Notes: Once the cap is clipped the cold draw has a subtle ginger with hints of grass and cedar. The aroma from the foot is similar with notes of grass, wheat and a touch of cedar. After toasting the foot of the cigar the first draw offers up a touch of wheat.
Moving into the first third the wheat notes are joined by nuances of cedar and cocoa with the latter coming and going periodically through the first third of the cigar. The retrohale sees a lot going on with notes of hearty wood, buttery richness and a touch of saltiness with a relatively short finish.
Moving on to the second third sees the introduction of licorice with continued cocoa and cedar. The cocoa sweetness is especially noticeable on the retrohale of the cigar which also enhances the licorice component while adding a buttery smooth richness.
The last third of the Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut is buttery smooth and rich much like a fresh baked split top loaf of bread. As we remove the primary band the cigar sees the introduction of cashews, black pepper and cinnamon. The retrohale of the cigar enhances the cinnamon notes with some pepper on the finish.
The Finish: On the podcast I refer to some of the newer Connecticut cigars as, Not your Grandfather’s Connecticut. The Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut is a perfect example of that. If you were to smoke this cigar with a blindfold on, you might have a hard time guessing the wrapper. It’s a medium bodied cigar full of flavor and complexity. It’s consistency, quality, value and of course flavor is the reason it stood out in 2018 and is our Cigar of the Year. This memorable cigar should be a staple in your humidor and around for years if not decades to come.
Score: 97
Price: $7.59 / $132.99
Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut
Aganorsa Leaf Connecticut Burn
